The beginning of November sees the beginning of winter. With the falling of nature into its winter sleep the plethora of rituals and festivals that occur in November stress that sense of ‘remembering’.
All Saints, All Souls, Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day – the month is rich with opportunities to remember – those who have lived, those who have died; those who have enriched our lives and those whose deeds and stories have filled us with awe, wonder and gratitude.
Hot on the heels of Hallowe’en, with its pranks, spooky activity and mischief, comes the the feast of All Saints. However, this is still very much a celebration. Christians believe that through baptism individuals become members one of another in Christ – members of a company of saints whose mutual belonging transcends death. All Saints is a time of giving thanks for the grace of God, powerfully at work in the lives of those who have gone before. It gives a chance to reflect on how that grace can grow in the lives of each one of us – in ordinary times as well as in times of crisis.
A small boy, when asked what a saint was, said it was ‘somebody the light shines through.’ We see images of saints in the beautiful stained glass of church windows but we also often see saints in those around us as they pick up on opportunities to serve, comfort or help others. Sanctity, that quality of being sacred, of being set aside to be valued, respected and honoured, is not so much about hero-worship as about accessibility. The saints are the real folk of every age in whose lives we can glimpse heaven in our midst.
All Saints customs have evolved and vary from country to country. In Belgium chrysanthemums will be left at a tomb; in Poland, families will gather to commemorate the saints with candles, flowers and a celebratory meal; in Guatemala kites are flown to symbolize uniting the dead with the living.
So, at the time of All Saints, those who have gone before us are not forgotten but recalled; we give thanks for those who have inspired us and left the world a better place for their having been in it. Perhaps it can also help strengthen our own resolve. Often a brief prayer may be offered:
Lord, for your blessings in the past and for a vision for the future, receive our thanks and prayer. May we live our lives that we become more closely the saints you would have each one of us be.
